Adjustable air-cylinder support for 90{20 {11 push-out in glassware forming equipment

ABSTRACT

In a 90* push-out for glassware forming equipment, a rotary slide assembly is provided for adjusting the angular position at which air pressure is applied to the fluid motor of the push-out mechanism for initiating withdrawal of the push plate.

United States Patent [1 1 FORMING EQUIPMENT Faure I May 28, I974 ADJUSTABLE AIR-CYLINDER SUPPORT 3,200,964 3/1965 Eldrcd 65/26() x FOR 90 PUSH.()UT 1N GLASSWARE 3,249,200 5/1966 Rowe 65/260 X 3,559,425 2/l97l lrwin et al (15/200 Primary Examiner-Robert L. Lindsay, J r. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Paul & Paul 57 ABSTRACT In a 90 push-out for glassware forming equipment, a rotary slide assembly is provided for adjusting the angular position at which air pressure is applied to the fluid motor of the push-out mechanism for initiating withdrawal of the push plate.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEBIIAY 28 m4 3 8 l 2', 6 9 0 sum 2 or 3 Fig.8

PATENTEDIAY 28 m4 sum 3 or 3 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In glassware forming equipment, a 90 push-out mechanism functions to move one or more glassware, for example, one or more newly formed bottles,.from the dead plate to the conveyor. This is accomplished by means of a 90 rotatable fluid motor or air cylinder which carries at the end of its extendible-retractable piston a push-plate push-finger assembly for pushing the newly formed bottles from the dead plate along a 90 arcuate path to the moving conveyor. At the end of its 90 angular movement, the air-cylinder piston is retracted to remove the push plate and push fingers and to allow the bottles to be conveyed, in line and at regu larly spaced separation, by the conveyor.

Retraction of the piston of the air cylinder is initiated when an air line .in the base plate or support disc on which the 90 assembly is mounted first comes into over-lapping relationship with an air-supply line located in the frame on which the support disc is mounted for 90 rotation. As soon as a portion of the air duct in the angularly-moving support disc comes into over-lapping relationship with a portion of the supply air line in the support frame, air pressure is applied to the air cylinder and retraction of the piston carrying the push plate and push fingers is initiated. It is to be noted that initiation of the withdrawal or retraction of the piston does not await full registry between the air duct in the support disc and the air supply in the support frame. I

In the operation of the glass-forming equipment, the attendant may notice that the air cylinder piston which carries the push plate and push fingers is being retracted too soon, or too late, and that the bottles are not being deposited in proper alignment and spacing on the forwardly-moving conveyor belt. It is to be noted that a straight line of bottles uniformly spaced on the conveyor belt is necessary for subsequent operations to be properly carried out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide an adjustment mechanism which will permit quick and easy adjustment of the time instant at which pressurized air is delivered to the air cylinder to initiate retraction of the piston of the 90 push-out assembly after the bottles have been pushed from the dead plate to the moving conveyor belt.

The foregoing object is achieved. in accordance with the present invention, by providing in the frame just below the rotary support disc on which the 90 air-motor assembly is mou nted. a rotary slide assembly carrying an air-line coupling for connecting the air duct in the rotary support disc tothe air support line in the frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEDRAWINGS push-out positions of FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is an elevational-view, in section, looking along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 toward the dead plate P-l.

FIG. 4 is a view, partly in section, looking down along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view, in section, looking along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view, in section, looking along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan .view of the support disc.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the slotted plunger which is mounted in the frame below the air hole and plunger carried by the rotary slide assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to'FIGS. l and 2, a drive shaft 10,

ournalled in bearings 11, has mounted thereon at spaced-apart locations cams l2 and 112, one for each of the two adjacent push-out assembly stations illustrated in FIGS. 1 and2.'The two push-out stations are identical, or substantially identical, and corresponding parts in the right-hand station are identified by the same reference numerals as those in the lefthand station but with added thereto. Thus, the drive cam of the left-hand station is 1'2 and the drive cam of the right-hand station is 112.

The two adjacent 90 push-out stations in FIGS. 1 and 2 are operated in out-of-phase relationship with each other, as will ordinarily be the case. Thus, air cylinder 63 of the left-hand station is shown to be facing the dead plate P-l with its piston 64 extended while the corresponding air cylinder 163 of the right-hand station is shown to be facing the conveyor C with its piston retracted.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, associated with cam 12 is a cam follower roller 13 carried on a pivot arm 14 pivotally supported on a vertical shaft 15 supported in the pivot brackets 16. The outer endof pivot arm 14 is connected to one end of a chain 25 which is trained about a sprocket 26 and has its other end connected to one end of a coiled spring (not shown). The other end of the coiled spring is connected to the frame of the machine. This spring, by urging chain 25 toward the left, as viewed in' FIGS. 1 and 2, maintains camfollower roller 13 against the cam 12.

When drive shaft 10 is driven rotationally, cam- I and secured to the lower end of a vertical shaft 20' which is supported in support bracket 31 of the frame 30. The vertical shaft 20 may be journalled for oscillatory movement in a needle bearing assembly 21. A retaining hub or collar 23 retains the sprocket 26 on the shaft 20. N

The upper end of the vertical shaft 20 is journalled for oscillatory movement in a roller bearing assembly 32. Above the bearing assembly 32 is a closure element 33. Keyed, as by key 34, to the upper end of vertical shaft 20 is a base plate or support disc 35 which oscillates with shaft 20. Screwed into the top of oscillatory shaft 20 is a locating stud 36 which projects upwardly into a valve block 61 which is secured, as by screws 37 (FIG. to the support disc 35 for oscillation therewith. Valve block 61 is an integral part of the fluidmotor assembly which includes air cylinder 63 andpiston 6.4 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Thus air cylinder 63 and piston 64 oscillate with disc 35. Mounted at the forward end of the piston 64 is a push plate 65 having extending therefrom a pair of push fingers 66 for pushing the bot- .tles B from the dead plate P-l to the conveyor C when the shaft turns clockwise through 90. 3

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, FIG; 5 shows the air lines as seen in section Iooking in along the line .5'5 of FIG. 4. In FIG. 5, compressed air from a flexible hose is introduced through an in-port 70 located in'the upper part of bracket 31. Communicating with in-port 70, within bracket 31, is an air-line coupling piston 71 which is spring biased upwardly by compression spring -72. The passageway through the piston 71 isidentified as 710. The function of the spring-biased piston 71 is to maintain an air-tight coupling between the air port 70 in the fixed frame bracket 31 and the air duct 73 in the oscillatory support disc 35. Air duct: 73 communicates with air duct 74 in the oscillatory valve block 61.

The positions of these two ducts 73 and 74 are fixed relative to eachother since valve block 61 is secured to support disc 35, as by the screws or bolts 37. Duct 74 leads to air cylinder 63, on the rearward side of piston 64. Return air from the fluid-motor air-cylinder 63 returns through duct 75 in valve block 61, downward throughduct 76 in the oscillatory support disc 35,

down through the passageway in the spring-biased piston 77, and out exit port 79 toatmosphere.

The illustration in.FIGS.' 3, 4 and 5 are views taken when the fluid-motor assembly of the left-hand station in FIGS. 1 and 2 is in the position illustrated in FIGS; 1- and 2, wherein the air cylinder 63 faces the dead plate P-l, with piston 64 extended. When, in response to the action of the drive mechanism (comprising drive shaft 10, cam 12, cam roller 13, arm 14, chain and sprocket 26) the oscillatory vertical shaft 20 is moved rotationally clockwise through 90, the support disc 35,

valve block 61, and the air-motor assembly are moved rotationally through 90, and when this occurs the air duct 76 in the support disc (FIGS. 4, 5 and 7) is carried from theposition shown in phantom in FIG. 7 to the position shown in solid line in FIG. 7. Simultaneously, the air duct 73 in the support disc 35 is carried from the position shown in FIG. 4 to a position (not illustrated) which is 90 away, in the clock-wise direction.

Referring now to air duct 76 in support disc 35, when 1 the disc 35 is' moved clockwise through 90, as just described, the duct 76 comes into ovenlapping position (FIG. 7) with a passage 46a in a piston 46 provided, in

accordance with the present invention, in an adjustable slide assembly 40, seen in FIGS. 3, 4and 6. As a result, compressed air is applied to air-cylinder 63 to'the forward side of piston 64 and piston 64 is retracted. I The function of the adjustable slide assembly40, re-

ferred to above and seen in FIGS. 3-7, is to provide means for controlling the instant at which retraction of the piston 64 is initiated following 90 (or approximately 90) rotational movement of the fluidlmotor assembly in the clockwise direction to push the bottlesB Y from the dead plate P-l along an arcuate path to the. moving conveyor belt C. I

In accordance with the presentinvention, set into a recess inan upper arm 37 (FIG. 3) of support bracket 31 of frame 30 is a T-shaped air-plunger 50, a perspective view of which is seen in FIG. 8. As seen in section in FIG. 6, the T-shaped air-plunger 50' is biased upwardly by a'pai'r of compression strings 53..Ihe airplunger 50 has a center passageway 51 which communicates with input air line 90. The upper or cross portion of the T-s'haped plunger 50 has a lengthwise slot 52.

As seen in FIG. 3, supported on arm 37 of bracket 31, immediatelyabove theslotted T-shaped air-plunger 50, is an arcuaterotary slide assembly 40, the outer upper peripheral edge ofwhich (FIGS. 3, 4 and 7) is provided with gear teeth '41 which engagesand are driven by a worm 42. The lower peripheral edge of rotary slide 40 is provided with a flange 45 which is received within a retaining groove in the bracket 31 (FIG. 3).

Inserted in a recess in rotary slide 40 (FIG. 3) is an air-coupling piston 46 spring biased upwardly by a compression spring 47. An air passage 460 extends vertically through the piston 46. The lower end of the air passageway 46a is in registry with elongated slot 52 of T-shaped air-plunger 50 located in the fixed bracket arm 37.'The upper end of mean passageway 46a is adapted to comeinto partial registry with duct 76 in support disc 35, as seen in FIG. 7. v The operation ofxthe adjusting mechanism will now be described. Referring first to FIG. 1, it will be-seen that in the left-hand station, the fluid motor assembly, comprising air cylinder 63 and piston '64, is facing the dead plate P-l with piston 64 in extended position so that fingers 66 engage the bottles 8 on'the dead'plate. When, in response to the action of the drive mechanism (cam 12, cam follower roller .13, arm 14, chain 25 and sprocket 26) the vertical shaft 20 is moved rotationally through (or approximately 90), the support disc 35"carrying the fluid motor assembly (comprising air cylinder 63 and piston 64) is moved rotationally in like manner and the bottles B are moved along an arcuate path from the dead plate P-l to the conveyor C. At the termination of this movement, the air duct-76' in support disc 35 (FIGS-4, 5 and v7) comes into partial overlapping relationship with air duct 46:; in slide plate 40, as seen in FIG. 7. As soon as this occurs, air enters aircylinder 63 through duct and retraction of piston 64 isinitiated.

It will be seen, if retraction of piston 64 is initiated either too soon or too late, that adjustment of the time of start of retraction may be madeby moving rotary slide" 40 in one direction or the other, thereby to adjust the position of the air passage 46a relative to air duct The position'of rotary slide 40 is adjusted by turning the knob on theou-ter end of a rod 44 which, in FIG. 1, is shown extending'a'cross the conveyor C on the underside thereof, supported in a conveyor beam. The inward end of rod is coupled, through a pair of miter gears 43 (FIG. 4), to the shaft of worm 42. Thus, rotation of,r0d 44- in one direction or the other is eflective to move the worm 42 rotationally in one direction or the other, thereby moving slide plate in one direction or the other. Before making the adjustment, a hold-down or retaining ring 48 (FIG. 3) which holds slide plate 40 in locked position, is first loosened, as by loosening screws 49. After the adjustment is made, the ring 48 is again tightened to hold rotary slide 40 in the desired adjusted position.

'The adjustment means described above is useful on glass-forming equipment in which the pressurized air supply is ON at all times wherein air may be prematurely supplied to the 90 push-out mechanism to cause early retraction of the piston and push fingers carried thereby, resulting in angular rather than straight-line positioning of the bottles on the conveyor.

If this is happening, correction of the. condition is quickly made by the adjusting means described herein.

What is claimed is:

1. in a 90 push-out mechanism for glassware forming machinery having an oscillatable vertical shaft supported for rotation in a fixed support bracket having supply air lines therein, said shaft carrying for oscillation therewith a support disc on which is mounted a fluid motor assembly including an air cylinder and piston, said support disc having air ducts therein adapted to be moved into and out of at least partial registry with said supply air lines in said support bracket for controlling the extension and retraction of said piston, the'improvement which comprises the provision of means for adjusting the angular position of said fluid motor as-. sembly at which retraction of said piston is initiated, said adjusting means comprising:

a. A horizontally adjustable slide plate mounted for arcuate movement on said support bracket immediately beneath said oscillatable support disc;

b. A recess in said slide plate carrying a vertically disposedair duct adapted to come'into a least partial registry with an air duct in said support disc at or near a limit position of said oscillatable support disc;

c. A horizontally elongated arcuate slot in said fixed support bracket positioned beneath said vertical duct in said slide plate to maintain constant communication with said vertical duct in said slide plate irrespective of the position of said slide plate;

d. Means for adjusting the position of slide plate to vary the angular position of said support disc at which an air duct in said support disc comes into partial registry with said air duct in said slide plate; and

e. Means for supplying pressurized air to said arcuate slot in said support bracket.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said recess in said slide plate includes a tubular plunger spring biased upwardly toward said support disc.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

a. Said fixed support bracket which supports said adjustable slide plate is provided with a recess having therein a T-shaped plunger,

b..Said horizontally elongated arcuate slot is in the 'top cross portion of said plunger, and

c. The leg portion of said plunger includes a duct in communication with said'slot.

'4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein spring means are provided for biasing said T-shaped plunger upwardly toward said slide plate.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

a. The outer peripheral edge of said slide plate is provided with gear teeth,

b. The means for adjusting the position of 'said slide plate include a worm in mesh with the gear teeth of said plate and means forrotating said worm to adjust the angular position of 'said slide plate.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein retaining means are provided for locking said slide plate in position following adjustment thereof.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a control rod projects from said 90 push-out apparatus for adjusting the angular position of said slide plate. 

1. In a 90* push-out mechanism for glassware forming machinery having an oscillatable vertical shaft supported for rotation in a fixed support bracket having supply air lines therein, said shaft carrying for oscillation therewith a support disc on which is mounted a fluid motor assembly including an air cylinder and piston, said support disc having air ducts therein adapted to be moved into and out of at least partial registry with said supply air lines in said support bracket for controlling the extension and retraction of said piston, the improvement which comprises the provision of means for adjusting the angular position of said fluid motor assembly at which retraction of said piston is initiated, said adjusting means comprising: a. A horizontally adjustable slide plate mounted for arcuate movement on said support bracket immediately beneath said Oscillatable support disc; b. A recess in said slide plate carrying a vertically disposed air duct adapted to come into a least partial registry with an air duct in said support disc at or near a limit position of said oscillatable support disc; c. A horizontally elongated arcuate slot in said fixed support bracket positioned beneath said vertical duct in said slide plate to maintain constant communication with said vertical duct in said slide plate irrespective of the position of said slide plate; d. Means for adjusting the position of slide plate to vary the angular position of said support disc at which an air duct in said support disc comes into partial registry with said air duct in said slide plate; and e. Means for supplying pressurized air to said arcuate slot in said support bracket.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said recess in said slide plate includes a tubular plunger spring biased upwardly toward said support disc.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: a. Said fixed support bracket which supports said adjustable slide plate is provided with a recess having therein a T-shaped plunger, b. Said horizontally elongated arcuate slot is in the top cross portion of said plunger, and c. The leg portion of said plunger includes a duct in communication with said slot.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein spring means are provided for biasing said T-shaped plunger upwardly toward said slide plate.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: a. The outer peripheral edge of said slide plate is provided with gear teeth, b. The means for adjusting the position of said slide plate include a worm in mesh with the gear teeth of said plate and means for rotating said worm to adjust the angular position of said slide plate.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein retaining means are provided for locking said slide plate in position following adjustment thereof.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a control rod projects from said 90* push-out apparatus for adjusting the angular position of said slide plate. 